Culvert



April 1934- F. L. CARSWELL El AL ,407

CULVERT Filed Sept. 19, 1932 ATTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 17, 1934 Firrnan L. Carsweil and Otto W. Schmidt, Kansas Qity, Mo.

Application September 19, 193. 3, Serial No. 633,714

8 Claims.

This invention relates to culverts used in creating subterranean passages for water and has for a primary object, the provision of certain improvements in such a structure which renders it especially effective in preventing undesirable washing and in establishing a culvert that will remain in position and be strong enough to perform all heavy work without the use of expensive parts or complicated and bulky members.

One of the salient aims of the instant invention is the contemplation of an open bottom culvert that includes wash checking aprons transversely disposed below an open frame that are thrust into the earth beneath the surface thereof when the culvert is in use, whereby an earthen floor in the culvert is created which cannot be materially changed through the action of running water because of the checking effect of said aprons.

A yet further object of this invention is to provide a culvert of the general character mentioned having an open frame, one side of which is closed by a wall disposed above said frame, the other side of said frame having a series of depending, transverse anchoring aprons for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Minor objects of the invention, including the novel means for precluding transverse movement on the part of the longitudinal edges of the culvert wall, and the provision of angled, projected Wings integral with one of said depending aprons, will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a culvert embodying this invention, a part of the wall there.- of being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, cross-section through the culvert after it has been embedded to form a subterranean passage.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through the culvert before the same is positioned, and,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Among some of the objections to the ordinary open bottom culverts is their failure to preclude washing, whereby the fioor of the subterranean passage formed is lowered and cut from beneath the entire structure. This invention provides means whereby the floor of the subterranean passage is maintained in substantially the same plane as the major plane of the culvert.

In constructing a culvert embodying the preferred form of this invention, the same should include a frame having side rails 8 and transverse tie bars 10 which may be formed of angle irons, as illustrated. Each side rail 8 is preferably formed of an angle iron, the same having an upstanding wall 12 and a wall 14 which is normally disposed in a horizontal plane. Rivets, bolts, or analogous means 16 may be used in ecuring together tie bars 10, and the respective side rails 8 and a wall 18 is provided to close one side of the open frame 6. This wall 18 extends from side rail to side rail and is disposed thereaoove and may be arcuate in its transverse crosssection, as illustrated, or may be created to present any other form which will provide the desired type of passage between the major plane of frame 6 and the wall 18 after the culvert has ieen positioned as shown in Fig. 2.

In some instances wall 18 is secured as at 20 to upstanding member 12 of side rails 8, but such assembly step may be eliminated and wall 18 moved to position at the point of installation. Such assembly at the place of use is permitted and the likelihood of transverse movement on the part of the frame-engaging, longitudinal edges of wall 18 precluded by an upturned retaining lug 22 which is struck from wall 14 of side rails 8. Fig. 4 illustrates this expedient in detail and it is obvious that when the weight of the earth is acting upon wall 18, said wall will remain securely in position, regardless of any force which may be imparted thereto, so long as the weight of the earth is forcing the longitudinal edges of Wall 18 down against side rails 8. It is preferred to construct wall 18 of corrugated material, particularly sheet metal, and to have wall 18 arched as illustrated. Obviously, the corrugations strengthen wall 18.

A series of depending, transverse anchoring aprons 2e are built into the culvert embodying the concepts of this invention and the same are rigidly secured by rivets or analogous means 26 to any number of the tie bars 10. These depending aprons 24 are preferably disposed in a plane transverse to the major plane of frame 6 and may extend therebelow as far as it is deemed advisable. This distance is usually varied after the character of the soil is determined at the point of use. These aprons may be termed wash checks and there should be one at each end of frame 6. The apron 24 associated with the end of frame 6 which is first to be reached by the flowing water, is preferably provided with a wing 28 at each end thereof, the wings being angled outwardly to converge as the depending apron 24 is approached from the projected ends of wings 28. This particular structure is clearly shown in Fig. 1, and it is obvious that these wings perform an important function in precluding washing around frame 6 and therebeneath.

Each of aprons 24 is corrugated transversely to permit their being embedded by driving or other ways and when the culvert is in place, these apron corrugations act to create an effective anchor.

Manifestly, the parts including aprons 24 and wall 18 may be made of ordinary corrugated sheet metal and the members of frame 6 cut from stock angle irons.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is understood that the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A culvert comprising an open frame; a wall extending from one edge of the frame to the other, above said frame; and means formed by the frame for engaging said wall to preclude transverse movement of the longitudinal edges thereof.

2. A culvert comprising an open frame; a wall extending from one edge of the frame to the other, above said frame; means formed by the frame for engaging both sides of said wall at the longitudinal edges thereof to preclude transverse movement thereof in the major plane of said frame; and a series of depending aprons below said frame.

3. A culvert comprising an open frame having sides and tie members to maintain the sides in spaced relation; an arcuate wall carried by the sides and disposed thereabove; and substantially planar aprons depending from said tie members, said aprons having corrugations extending in a direction transverse to the major plane of said frame.

4. In a culvert, an open frame; an arcuate wall above one side of said frame; and a series of transverse aprons carried by the frame at the other side thereof, said aprons being disposed in planes transverse to the plane of said frame and extending the full width of the frame.

5. In a culvert, a frame; a wall closing one side of said frame and disposed thereabove; and an apron carried by said frame at one end thereof and below said wall, said apron being disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of said frame and having a wing at each end thereof projected beyond the edge of said frame.

6. In a culvert, a frame; a wall closing one side of said frame and disposed thereabove; and an apron carried by said frame at one end thereof and below said wall, said apron being disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of said frame and having a wing at each end thereof projected beyond the edge of said frame, said wings being angled outwardly to converge as the depending apron is approached from the projected ends thereof.

7. A culvert comprising an open frame having sides and tie members to maintain the sides in spaced relation; an arcuate wall carried by the sides thereabove; and transverse, depending aprons carried by said tie members with their upper edges in the major plane of the open frame.

8. In a culvert, a frame, an arcuate wall above one side of said frame; a series of transverse aprons carried by the frame at the other side thereof, said aprons being disposed substantially perpendicular to the major plane of said frame, one of said aprons having a wing formed at each end projecting beyond the edges of said frame.

FIRMAN L. CARSWELL. OTTO W. SCHMIDT. 

